


The Winter Soldier and other challenges (Government Servant Edition)

by mybrotherharry



Series: Just Another Steve with a Sassy Brunette Story [6]
Category: Captain America (Movies), Marvel Cinematic Universe, The West Wing
Genre: Cooking, Fluff, Found Families, Gen, M/M, Romance, Tooth Rotting Fluff
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-12-23
Updated: 2019-12-23
Packaged: 2021-02-26 02:20:14
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,818
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/21915892
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/mybrotherharry/pseuds/mybrotherharry
Summary: Sam learns that when it comes to the Avengers, you can't adoptjustone.
Relationships: Steve Rogers/Sam Seaborn
Series: Just Another Steve with a Sassy Brunette Story [6]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/1393501
Comments: 18
Kudos: 50





	The Winter Soldier and other challenges (Government Servant Edition)

**Author's Note:**

> This is for one person, and she knows who she is.
> 
> All three of my readers, enjoy. 
> 
> Sam/Steve is a niche ship that lives in my head. Like Josh Lyman and a secret plan to fight inflation, I shall go down with it, is what I am saying.

He comes home after a long day at work, hoping to find his boyfriend in his bed, preferably naked and willingly enthusiastic. 

Instead, he finds the Black Widow and Hawkeye sprawled on his couches, eating his popcorn. 

"Hey," Tony Stark says from his spot on the floor, Sam's PASSWORD-protected laptop open on the coffee table. "Your wifi sucks."

"Mr. Stark," he greets, stepping through the living room and dropping his briefcase by the coat stand. "Ms. Romanoff. Clint."

"Phil says hey," Hawkeye throws over his shoulder as Sam passes before going back to the movie the assassins are watching on his television.

Sam makes his way through to the kitchen and finds the Avenger he actually wants to see. Steve is at the stove, and the smell of homemade marinara feels inviting.

"They seem to have sent me a few extra Avengers," Sam tells him, leaning across the counter to kiss him on the lips, "I could swear I ordered just one."

"Sorry," Steve looks sheepish as he stirs the sauce and turns the heat down, "I was going to surprise you with dinner, but Tony heard me making plans."

"Did he now?"

"They were all RAISED BY WOLVES," he yells out the last part, and Sam catches the middle finger Stark throws their way. "But they're harmless, I promise. They're only hanging around here for the spaghetti and meatballs."

That sounds amazing, and right on cue, Sam's stomach growls loudly. He walks around the counter and puts his arms around Steve's waist, resting his cheek on the man's broad back, cuddling into his warmth. 

"Did you even eat lunch?" Steve asks, his eyebrows pinching in disapproval.

"I think there was a sandwich at some point," Sam murmurs into Steve's back. "I am pretty sure I remember a sandwich."

"I am going to start bribing Donna into bringing you lunch," Steve answers, draining the noodles under the faucet in Sam's sink. 

"I am not sure if the nation is ready for the two of you to start conspiring," Sam laughs. "She is a force of nature, and you are Captain America."

Steve and Donna have been in the same room only once so far. Leo's ordered that the one time is one too many for the Bartlet Administration. Josh is under strict orders to keep them apart. "We aren't that bad."

"You'll go out to buy a candy bar and end up overthrowing the government," Sam says, and he is maybe only twenty percent joking. "I'll be out of a job."

"Good," Steve points out, "you can stay home with me all day."

"Hmmm," Sam leans up to kiss him, "With perks like that, I guess I can get on Team Treason. Donna can do all the heavy lifting."

"Phil says he's been trying to steal her to SHIELD Admin for years," Steve confesses. "But she wouldn't budge."

"Yeah, I don't see her leaving Josh," Sam agrees, "which is sad because as long as he works for him, Josh won't make a move."

"I don't understand how you people put up with the sexual tension," Steve says. "Or how Donna and Josh still don't know. Tony has the emotional sensitivity of a brick wall and even he could tell they love each other."

"I CAN HEAR YOU, ROGERS!" Stark yells from the living room, which they ignore.

Sam dips a finger in the bubbling sauce and sucks on it, "I am hungry," he whines, prompting Steve to turn around in his arms and kiss him properly.

"Hi," Steve smiles against his lips, straightening Sam's glasses.

"I missed you," Sam tells him, holding him closer. 

"I missed you too," Steve answers, "Sorry about the strays. I promise I will make it up to you later."

"I'll hold you to that," Sam kisses him, but they're forced to separate by someone pointedly clearing their throat in the hallway.

"Is everyone decent?" Natasha walks in with Clint, her palm over her eyes. "Are pants still on?"

"Please!" Clint laughs from beside her. "Told you there's no way he's getting Cap's trousers off in the kitchen!" 

Sam reddens, but Steve only throws a half-threatening glare at the pair of them. "Raised by wolves, both of you!"

"How dare you?" Clint pulls one of the chairs at the dining table and falls into it, "I raised myself."

"Frankly, that explains so much," Stark says, striding into the room, his head buried in his phone. "You have seventeen job offers in your inbox, Abercrombie."

Sam decides to bypass the fact that Tony Stark is reading his email and focus on the immediate detail under discussion, "I know? I am not taking any of them."

"Come on," Stark says, as Steve passes Natasha plates and they start setting the table, "there has got to be something that will lure you to the siren call of the private sector. What do you want? A private jet? Good health and dental? An on-call stripper?"

"I don't know how to feel about Tony Stark offering to send me a stripper," Sam says honestly, because at some point after meeting Steve, he's resigned to just rolling with it.

"I know how I feel about that," Steve mutters. "Stop bothering him, Tony."

"I am fighting your battles for you, Cap," Stark takes the chair opposite Barton. "Better hours in the private sector."

"I have seen how long Pepper works and I'm calling your bluff," Steve says. "Besides, Sam is a public servant. He is committed to the Bartlet Administration, aren't you Sam?"

"I am," Sam answers, accepting a full plate from Natasha. She loads everyone's plates and Steve puts a basket of still warm garlic bread in the middle. The Avengers seem to have raided his pantry, cooked a meal, figured out his haphazard system of storage drawers and pulled out enough cutlery to go around. Based on the delicious meal in front of him, Sam can't complain. "We're starting the re-election campaign next week."

"God yes," Stark answers. "Please don't let that luggerhead Ritchie win. I called him an assclown once on CSPAN."

Steve asks in a horrified voice, "You called a Governor an assclown?" at the same time as Sam asking, "That was him?" 

Steve turns to Sam with a betrayed expression, "You knew about this?"

"Everyone knew about it," Sam says placatingly. "It was on national television. I don't remember Josh ever being happier than that week."

"He sent me a card," Tony says. "And a very nice fruit basket, which Thor ate."

"The card would probably have been Donna," Sam says, digging into his plate. "This is really good, Steve."

"Thank you," Steve smiles, "but can we go back to Tony calling a Governor an assclown on national television?"

"Steve," Sam points at him with his fork, "last week, you nearly punched a senator cause he wanted to cut funding for school lunches. The week before that, you started a twitter war with Bill 'OReilly."

"That's different!"

"Glass houses, honey," Sam laughs. "Hey, I have no problems with you going to war with Fox News. Zero complaints from this side of the table."

"This isn't over," Steve glares at Tony. 

"Oh God, let me love you, Seaborn," Tony bats his eyes at Sam. "That was beautiful. You made the oncoming storm that is Cap change direction."

"Nah," Sam shrugs, wiping his mouth on his napkin. "I merely stalled him for a bit. You're on your own once he is out of my radius."

"Wait till he finds out about the time you told the prime minister of England to eat shit," Clint says because he is a bastard.

"You did what?" Steve asks, horrified. 

Sam sits back in his chair and lets the conversation wash over him, enjoying sitting beside his boyfriend and hear him bicker with the Avengers about appropriate conduct.

He catches Natasha's eye, and she slowly gives him a drawn out shrug, both a warning and an acceptance. 

You will do for now, Seaborn, she seems to say. Don't hurt him.

Suppressing a shudder, he focusses on the discussion, taking Steve's left hand under the table. 

Yeah, this feels right.

While Steve cleans up after dinner, and Stark distracts Clint and Romanoff with glasses of wine, Sam takes a dish outside to his fire escape. 

He finds Bucky Barnes crouched in the darkness, his hands in his pockets. 

"So you're just following him around DC now?"

He doesn't get a response, and he isn't expecting one. 

"If you come inside," Sam says, "you will make him happy."

"Not now," Barnes says in a low murmur.

"But soon, right?"

Barnes merely extends a hand to take the plate from Sam. 

Sam's wrapped a couple of fifties around the fork. Barnes notices the money, and looks up at Sam.

"You're risking a lot by helping me," Barnes says. "Don't you work for the government?"

"You are Bucky Barnes," Sam retorts. "That's enough for me."

"I see why he likes you," Barnes holds the plate close.

"Are you staying warm? Where are you sleeping?" Sam asks, deciding to push his luck.

"This is his mother's recipe," Barnes says instead, ignoring Sam's question. "He is missing her. Make him talk about her, he will feel better. He does no good bottling it all up inside."

Sam files that away for future reference, deciding to ignore how surreal it is for him to be getting tips on making Captain America talk about his feelings from Bucky Barnes, "I'll take care of him," Sam promises. "But you have gotta come in soon, Barnes. I can help. I promise, SHIELD can help."

"Soon," Barnes says. "The Widow will come out in thirty seconds." Sam turns around, and sure enough, he sees Natasha follow him outside. When he turns back, Barnes and the plate of food are gone. 

"Our visitor from the dark?" Natasha asks, his voice sounding casual.

Sam gapes at her, "Okay, does everyone except Steve know?"

"We're trying to honor his wishes," Natasha says, staring at him pointedly. Sam hears the question she is asking.

"I am going along with it for now," he explains. "But the moment it does more harm than good, I am telling Steve."

"He won't forgive you for hiding it for so long," Natasha points out something that's already occured to Sam. 

"I'll tell him anyway, it's only fair."

Natasha blinks slowly, and Sam feels like he's passed a test.

"On your head be it," she says finally. "But one thing is certain. The two of you deserve each other, Mr. Seaborn."

A whisper of air at the back of his neck makes him turn around, and sure enough, he finds the empty plate with its customary fork on the stairwell. Barnes himself is nowhere to be seen.

"Okay," Sam says to thin air, "how does he do that?" 

Natasha's peal of laughter is the only answer he gets in the silent night.

~

**Author's Note:**

> Come say hi on [tumblr.](https://baffledkingcomposinghallelujah.tumblr.com/)  
> Comments are loved.


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